Mineral salts
Mineral salts are non-energetic nutrients, present in small quantities in food. They are very common in nature as they represent the main constituents of rocks.
- Bone structure
- Combined with organic substances
- In solution in organic liquids
Chemically, the mineral salts are neutral INORGANIC which in solution tend to dissociate, forming POSITIVE (cations) and NEGATIVE (anions) ions, but they can also be classified according to the respective needs (quantity that the organism needs to maintain full functionality metabolic):
- Macroelements: mineral salts present in fairly high quantities, the need for which exceeds 100mg / day
- Microelements or trace elements: mineral salts present in small quantities, the need for which is limited and does not exceed 100mg / day.
Some mineral salts perform a plastic function, as they participate in the structure of the human body, while others are bioregulatory as they participate in metabolic reactions and in the activity of enzymes.
NB. For those mineral salts present in very low quantities of which the recommended rations are not known, the wording "necessary in traces" is used.
Mineral salts Macroelements: functions
The macroelement mineral salts are less numerous than the microelements or trace elements; they are called macroelements as their dietary intake must exceed 100mg / day; below we will list their main functions.
Calcium and phosphorus (but also magnesium and fluorine) are fundamental components of bones and teeth; calcium participates in blood coagulation, in the conduction of nerve impulses, intervenes in muscle contraction and regulates the permeability of vessels. Phosphorus, on the other hand, is part of phospholipids (cell membranes), nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), the energy molecule ATP, some enzymes and (such as potassium, chlorine and sodium) participates in the "acid-base balance of" body.
Magnesium, in addition to being an essential constituent of the skeletal system, enters the composition of numerous enzymes and is involved in neuromuscular transmission.
Potassium and sodium regulate: the body's acid-base balance, water balance, osmotic pressure and nervous function.
Chlorine is essential for the formation of hydrochloric acid as a component of digestive gastric juices and, as anticipated, also regulates the body's acid-base balance and osmotic pressure.
Sulfur is a component of some important amino acids called sulfur (cystine, cysteine and methionine), vitamins, coenzymes and the anabolic hormone insulin; it is abundant in human skin, hair and nails.
Mineral salts Micronutrients or "main" trace elements: functions
Iron and copper are two trace elements closely linked to each other; iron is essential for the synthesis of hemoglobin, a protein that binds oxygen contained in red blood cells and muscle myoglobin. Copper (and, in part, also cobalt), in addition to facilitating the absorption of iron, enters the mechanism of synthesis of hemoglobin favoring it. Iron is also a component of enzymes of energy metabolism, while copper constitutes various digestive enzymes and determines the formation of elastin.
Molybdenum composes some enzymes that participate in the metabolism of purine bases (constituents of nucleotides).
Zinc is an enzymatic component found both in nucleic acid catalysts and in digestive ones; participates in the sensory functioning of taste and smell.
Iodine is a very important component of thyroid hormones thyroxine And triiodothyronine, therefore (together with the cobalt which participates in the iodine fixation reaction) it represents an element of body bioregulation.
Fluorine, as anticipated, participates in the maintenance of the bone and dental structure, and also performs a real shielding action from caries.
Manganese is a component of numerous enzymes that participate in the biosynthesis of cholesterol and in the metabolism of amines in general.
Chromium is involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism; it is component of a factor called GTF which enhances the activity of the hormone insulin in the transport of glucose.
Cobalt participates in the various functions of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), influences the biosynthesis of hemoglobin and facilitates the fixation of thyroid iodine.
Selenium is a coenzyme of glutathione peroxidase, acts as an antioxidant protecting cell membranes and counteracting the negative action of free radicals.
In conclusion
Mineral salts, both macroelements and microelements or trace elements, are essential molecules for the organism; the fact that some of them are not difficult to introduce sufficiently does not mean that they are nutrients to be neglected. A condition of general malnutrition always also determines an imbalance hydro-saline, which must be properly compensated in order to restore the total homeostasis of the organism.
Bibliography:
- Food and health –S. Rodato, I. Gola - Clitt - page 128: 134
